Pennsylvania JANUARY 1983 r & v ~i \ • , V j'w^ • ^H • •• ' 1 ' J Hk 1 1 " W 'OONNZH Since March 1975, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been required to exert broad authority over both freshwater and saltwater wetlands. When the Corps was given this responsibility we were somewhat apprehensive, but as it turned out they have done a fine job. Although we lose between 300,000 and 500,000 acres of wetlands per year, it could be more than double that number without the protection of what is called Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Section 404 is a per­ mit program that allows dredging and filling of wetlands and waters, but applicants must justify their requests, which are reviewed by all federal and state resource agencies involved. In May 1982, the Presidential Task Force for Regulatory Relief announced a series of reforms, stating that the 404 permit program could be streamlined "without sacrificing its environmental protection." The streamlining has been extreme, and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works William R. Gianelli is systematically destroying the effectiveness of wetlands protection. In his keynote address to the New England Governor's Conference on September 21, Mr. Gianelli boasted, "One of the things we've managed to do is eliminate the referral pro­ cess." Appeals to 404 permits, which will affect other federal and state resource agencies, can only be referred, or "elevated," if Mr. Gianelli personally agrees to hear the appeal. On July 22, 1982, the second stage of the Task Force's recommenda­ tions went into effect with the Army publishing new rules for its regula­ tory program. The regulations expand existing nationwide permits to include all waters and adjacent wetlands above the headwaters, and all isolated waters and wetlands. This regulation would remove protection from almost 900,000 acres of prairie potholes, 1-2 million acres of lakes and associated wetlands adjacent to the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and here at home, about 73,000 acres of wetlands in the Pocono Mountains. Furthermore, approximately 75 percent of the wetlands in Vermont would be left unprotected. In addition to other changes, the Army has directed its district engi­ neers to issue "statewide general permits," which delegate granting 404 permits to the states. We maintain that this delegation is illegal. In fact, the district engineer in Buffalo, New York, has said that such de facto delegations are illegal. We wonder how long he will remain the district engineer. On August 23, 1982, the National Wildlife Federation and other environmental organizations gave notice to the Corps that they intend to sue if the nationwide and statewide permits are not withdrawn. Write to the Congress and express your strong support for wetlands protection and for the retention of an effective 404 program. Ask them to look into the deliberate gutting of the 404 program by the Corps, in blatant violation of the Clean Water Act. ub> 'Pennsylvania JANUARY 1983 VOL. 52 NO. 1 FIND GRA VEL BAR QUICKLY. A New Appoach to Ice Fishing by Gerry Kingdom TAKE 4 The author reveals his step-by-step secrets of ice fishing success. Game Plan for Winter Bass by Jim Gronaw ANOTHER 8 Here are the specifics for taking bucketmouths through the ice. The Bicolor Leatherneck by Chauncy K. Lively TURN. 12 This out-of-the-ordinary streamer could help you increase your catch. Jj"*f bass game plan page X Zane Grey's River by G. M. Farley The famous writer's river revealed as never before. Pennsylvania Fish Commission Annual Report (Special supplement) 17 Ice Fishing Tips by John Swim on Here are helpful hints for beginners and more experienced ice fishermen. Chapman Dam's Icy Brook Trout Delight by Mike Bleech The author shows you how to take brookies from this waterway. 29 Pennsylvania Wild Resource Conservation Fund Straight Talk 2 Anglers Notebook 22 Currents 20 Mail 23 The Cover The Law and You 20 Boating 25 Book Review 21 Profile 30 You could have a monopoly on catching bass Staff through the ice if you follow the advice in "Game Plan for Winter Bass" on page 8. Our cover this EDITOR/ Art Michaels AR month, which depicts the goal of reading this arti­ T/T 0m Duran cle, was painted by Robert O'Donnell, Jr. PHOTOGRAPHER Russ Gettig ^IRCULATION/Eleanor Mutch PENNSYLVANIA HSH COMMISSION BOATING ADVISORY BOARD STAFF ASSISTANT/Ja^ Javne Calvin J. Kern. President John A. Hugya Povleski Clayton Buchanan, (hail man Whitehall Johnstown Pittsburgh .1. Wayne Vorks. Vice Ross J. Huhn Nicholas Apll ER: Sl f rms Nsh C^mmI '"" ''"" " "' Pennsylvania Benton President Saltsburg Hairless Hills '7105-16?T 7' '°- Bov l6"- «"""«"* PA l9 P Robert L. Martin »3 k nnh'r , ",'"""" <'«'«• (ISSN003l-434X).« Marilyn Black Charles C'hattaway Meadville Bellefonte Monongahela Sub; cn 'hrccvears SU - P"™ rates: one year. $5; Walter F. Gibbs Jerome E. Southcrton Sherwood Krum ">• monev '„'•, '"^ C0P'es "re 50t each. Send check Titusville Honesdale Hawley J;""-' Hs"-> h "HlerCon. anil nil ,•,,,-,rcspondenc i e to.. Pennsvl„ - PA I7| '". P.O. Box [673. Harrison™. Leonard A. Green Leon Lyon Carlisle Bellefonte ___ • .-••••.•••iv-.Vi *'" A New Approach to Ice Fishing These new ideas of ice fishing preparation may help you increase your catch and enjoy b y Gerry Kingdom your sport more. have f '^kSi my fismn8 travels around the world I 'round no other form of fishing extract as little ice fishing. At first, the work seemed overwhelming, but ment preparation from its adherents as ice "suing. little by little a plan evolved that has improved our cold weather angling immeasurably. Though it may involve eeor° d°Ubt there'S a reason- Most ice anglers are some extra preliminaries, our technique can work for you cone -ab°Ut the'r PreParation- Rather than now. specie tht["g °n h°W theyVe g0'ng t0 aPProach the Prena 7 ^ tryi"8 l° Catch' they devote their energies to Inverse stratification enoueh"gn '^ °Wn corntort- "Am ' going to be warm During summer months warm water lies atop a lake I Pnin ' have enough hot food and drink? What am with colder water at the bottom, but this situation i.s not com"8 •S,t °n? WiH mv rubb«r boots leak? These are so under a cover of ice. In midwinter, cold water is SuTl" 'Ce ang'erS' PreoccuPations- directly beneath the ice, with increasingly warmer water C V arC necessar once'C ^^ y considerations, but too often, below. This annual cycle of stratification is caused by the ansler°m t Cd they become the onlv preparation the ice relationship between water's density and its temperature. Drnrf,, f' Consequently, a long, cold day on the ice In winter this shifting of temperature is known as Produces only water hauls. inverse stratification. Its effect on native fish is great. U C SS C meS n y after adec uate year s ac ° ° ' l preparation. Several Despite an angler's belief to the contrary, cold-water summpr°',at my W'fe'S suggestion, we began applying our species like trout may be found closer to the ice where planning formula with some radical changes to water is cooler. January 1983 5 Baitfish replenishing an ice-covered lake, creek inlets become The color of some baitfish species like shiners may be important suppliers of oxygen at this time of year, and radically darker beneath the ice than it is in open daylight, should be sought out by the angler. because some species adapt their colors to the environment. For this reason many anglers carry their bait Underwater obstructions in light-colored or white pails to keep the bait shining. Submerged fences, stumps, fallen timber, and Though this may attract curious predators as long as the other obstacles that camouflage predatory fish in open bait remains bright (usually less than an hour), we prefer water are subordinate in importance to lake topography in to keep our baitfish colored as similarly to natives as winter. Because the former provide hideouts from solar possible. So we carry our baitfish in dark containers. discomfort, they lose significance beneath the ice. Look for mid-lake humps, down slopes, and deep Lake oxygen content dropoffs. These areas are particularly productive for the In winter, oxygen is at a premium under an ice cover, jig fisherman because a vertically worked lure fits the and its availability is often a clue to the whereabouts of contour of these places. fish. An oxygenated area is a winter oasis for fish life. Several factors cause its depletion. Decaying vegetation The general survey and timber are one. Because decaying matter is found at If you hate preparing each time you go ice the bottom of a iake and near its shorelines, these areas fishing, another useful strategy to increase your catch is to frequently do not provide a rich harvest of oxygen. select one lake that you can study in depth and stick to it. Consequently, fish are more likely to be found elsewhere. If you're familiar with its reputation and it produces for The lack of wind is another. Because the wind is not you during warmer weather, it should do so during winter, though you must alter your approach radically. First, examine the lake's circumference. Old roads that once meandered over what is now the floor of the lake are a feature of the lake that can help you pinpoint action. These roadbeds, especially those with ditches, serve as migratory routes for a wide variety of species. Natural depressions in roadbeds also serve as sanctuaries and ambush spots.